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Lessons from the Glencoe Skyline

I used to consider myself pretty fit for my age; someone who feels very much at home walking, scrambling, running and climbing in the mountains. That was until I took part in the Glencoe Skyline Race last September.

It was a bittersweet experience. Of course it was fantastic – an epic race around Glencoe. 52km and 4750m of ascent over challenging mixed terrain surrounded by stunning scenery. The race organisation was very professional and there was a real sense of camaraderie amongst the 200 or so competitors. It was life affirming to be around such a positive, fit, enthusiastic group of people, who clearly loved being in the mountains and challenging themselves physically and mentally.

On the other hand,  it brutally brought home the realisation that amongst this elite fell running subset of the population, I have a lot to work on, in terms of fitness, endurance, speed and just being able to move more swiftly the mountains.

In fact, at times I was wondering what on earth I was doing there, amongst world class athletes such as Killian Jornet, Jonathan Albon and Emelie Fosberg. Of course, I use the word “amongst” loosely, as the only time I was anywhere near these guys was at the start line.

I cannot comprehend how the winner (Killian Jornet) managed to finish in half the time it took me to eventually haul myself round the course. The speed with which some the competitors made the steep descents down uneven scree and slippery rocks was an education for me.

My main aim was to complete the course without serious injury and within the strictly enforced cut-off times. Deep down I wanted to finish in under 10 hrs. In reality I finished in 12hrs 35 mins!

Barring injury, I’m definitely giving it another go – maybe not next year, but soon. So what lessons were learned, and what would I do differently next time:

  1. I would train harder, much harder. By that I mean I would improve my hill fitness, beasting myself with longer days in the hills, coming much closer to simulating the time and distance of the event than I did for this years preparation. I would certainly put in some 30-35km + runs over 8-10 hrs in the hills in the month before. In an ideal world I’d book a holiday in the Alps for some altitude training a few weeks before!
  2. I’d work on my leg strength, to improve my downhill speed. For me the limiting factor is knee pain in prolonged descents, rather than inability to tackle the terrain. I enjoy fast descents over scree and uneven ground, but my knees let me down.
  3. In terms of equipment, taking walking poles was the right decision for me, although I doubt any of the elite athletes use them over this distance. They helped me keep going in the latter stages of the race both on ascents and descents when I was getting tired, however this was at the expense of slowing  me down, by making forward progress much less smooth.
  4. Endurance running is as much about getting your nutrition sorted as your fitness levels. Strangely, I needed less food than I thought on the day, based on my experience in training, however I find it’s best to accept a heavier load and carry a bit extra just in case, as you’ll certainly pay the price if  you run out of adequate calories.
  5. If possible, I would bring my own food to eat the day before the race when you’re hanging out in Glencoe or Kinlochleven. I ate hotel food which, while being absolutely great on any other occasion was probably not what I would have chosen for a pre-race meal had I been at home.
  6. I think I was possibly the only person to wear a helmet on Curved Ridge! I had given this a bit of thought before the race, and my rationale was that I would be towards the back of the course which meant there would be 100+ people above me, potentially causing rock fall. In reality, this wasn’t an issue, thanks to good route planning by the race organisers and everyone moving slowly and carefully over the crux sections. I wouldn’t take a helmet again.

Homemade Baked Beans

Not quite as handy, but so much better than tinned baked beans.

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion – small, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot  – medium, finely diced
  • 1 red pepper or courgette – finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 400g/ 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 x 400g/ 2 tins butterbeans
  • Tomato paste – 2 tablespoons
  • Fresh thyme leaves – 1 handful
  • Oregano – 1 teaspoon
  • Feta cheese – 100g

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
  2. Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a casserole/ ovenproof dish
  3. Add onion, carrot, red pepper, garlic, thyme and oregano
  4. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes
  5. Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and approximately 1/2 cup of water
  6. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes
  7. Then add the butterbeans and stir
  8. Finally, crumble the feta over the top and place the dish in the oven
  9. Bake for 30 minutes (uncovered)
  10. Serve on toast

 

 

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 Homemade Baked Beans
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HIIT workout 1

A great example of a High Intensity Circuit Training workout is the Seven Minute Workout, designed by Brett Klika and Chris Jordan, published in this practical article. 

Their workout combines both aerobic and resistance training in a series of 12 exercises that takes 7 minutes to complete:

  1. Jumping Jacks
  2. Wall sit
  3. Push ups
  4. Abdominal crunches
  5. Step ups
  6. Squats
  7. Triceps dips
  8. Plank
  9. High knees running on the spot
  10. Lunge
  11. Push ups with rotation
  12. Side plank

Each exercise is performed for 30 seconds at maximum intensity, doing as many reps as you can, with 10 seconds of rest between exercises.

The circuit was designed to exercise all the major muscle groups and achieve a balance of strength throughout the body. Ideally the exercises should be performed in the order shown above, to allow opposing muscle groups enough time for recovery.

However after a while, for variety and progression you’ll no doubt want to substitute your own exercises into the mix. For example, you could do jumping lunges, push ups with legs elevated, bulgarian split squats etc etc.

Burrito Bowl

Essentially this a big bowl of goodness – rice, quinoa and veggies, set off with plenty of fresh herbs. As always, swaps and variations are possible; I like to add peas and tofu to the mix.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 small leek
  • 1 large clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp of ground cumin
  • 1 tsp of ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 cup quinoa, washed
  • 1 cup brown rice, washed
  • 1 tsp miso paste
  • 1 small can corn (160g)
  • 1/2 can black beans or kidney beans (200g)
  • 1 small red pepper, chopped
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • Small bunch each of fresh coriander, mint and parsley, chopped
  • Squeeze of lime
  • A pinch of dried chilli flakes

Instructions:

  1. Add the leek, garlic, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika to a large pan and soften over a low heat for a few minutes, with a splash of olive oil or water
  2. Then add the rice, miso paste and 3 cups of water
  3. Increase the heat, and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes
  4. Then add the quinoa and simmer for another 20-25 minutes until the rice and quinoa mixture is cooked
  5. Next, add the corn, beans and pepper, and up to 1 cup of water to prevent to mixture becoming too dry
  6. Cook for another further 5 minutes, until all the water has absorbed
  7. Remove the pan from the heat and  add the chopped herbs, avocado and cherry tomatoes
  8. Finally, add a squeeze of lime and a pinch of dried chilli flakes and serve

 

 

 

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 Burrito Bowl
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Hommus

A delicious and easy-to-prepare dip. Ideal for getting your kids (and yourself) to eat more veggies. Also good with flatbreads.

Ingredients:

  • Chickpeas: 1 tin (400g)
  • Chickpea liquid: 1/2 cup
  • Garlic: 1 clove
  • Tahini: 1/2 cup
  • Juice of 1 lemon (1/3 cup)
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • Large pinch of Sea Salt
  • Large pinch cayenne pepper
  • Large pinch paprika

Instructions:

  1. Place ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency is reached
  2. Serve as a dip with chopped vegetables of your choice (eg. carrots, cucumber, celery)

 

 

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 Hommus
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Bircher Muesli

 

Breakfast of champions!

Prepare the night before.

Ingredients: (for 1 serving)

  • Oats – 2 cups
  • Sunflower seeds – 1-2 tablespoons
  • Raisins or sultanas – 1-2 tablespoons
  • Almonds – 1-2 tablespoons
  • Chia seeds – 1 tablespoon
  • Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon

Instructions:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl or kilner jar and soak in water overnight (variation – soak in apple juice overnight instead)
  2. In the morning, add some grated apple and seasonal berries, and stir through a couple of tablespoons of natural yoghurt for a creamier texture
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 Bircher Mueseli
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Green Smoothie

Most of us could do with eating more vegetables, and blending them into a smoothie is a quick and easy way of improving our daily intake.

There are of course endless variations on the green smoothie; here’s one:

Basic ingredients:

  • 5 kale leaves
  • A handful of spinach leaves
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1.5 cups rice milk or coconut water

Try adding:

  • 1 teaspoon hemp protein
  • 1 teaspoon flax seeds
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds

Place in a blender and whizz for 30 seconds.

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 Green Smoothie
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Flatbreads

 

 

 

 

 

These flatbreads or tortillas are super easy to make and can be used to create  wraps. I find wraps tend to work well as portable training snacks as they are soft and fairly robust, and can be used  with a variety of different fillings depending on your requirements.

Preparation time:

5 mins prep (+/- 30 mins resting) + 10 mins cooking time

Ingredients:

( Makes 8 medium sized flatbreads)

  • 1 cup plain white flour
  • 1 cup Rye or Spelt flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup water

Instructions:

  1. Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix together
  2. Knead the mixture on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until you get a smooth dough
  3. Ideally allow the dough to rest for about 30 minutes (this step is preferable but not crucial)
  4. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape into rounds
  5. Roll each round into a thin flatbread
  6. Heat up a frying pan (no oil required) and add a flatbread to the pan once hot
  7. Cook one side for 30 – 60 seconds until it starts to develop brown spots
  8. Flip over and cook the other side for a similar amount of time
  9. Repeat for the rest of the batch
  10. Wrap the freshly cooked flatbreads in a clean tea towel to prevent them from drying out and becoming crispy – you want them soft and moist in order to use them as wraps
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 Flatbreads
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 30 minutes
Servings
flatbreads
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 30 minutes
Servings
flatbreads
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix together
  2. Knead the mixture on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until you get a smooth dough
  3. Ideally allow the dough to rest for about 30 minutes
  4. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape into rounds
  5. Roll each round into a thin flatbread
  6. Heat up a frying pan (no oil required) and add a flatbread to the pan once hot
  7. Cook one side for 30 - 60 seconds until it starts to develop brown spots
  8. Flip over and cook the other side for a similar amount of time
  9. Repeat for the rest of the batch
  10. Wrap the freshly cooked flatbreads in a clean tea towel to prevent them from drying out and becoming crispy - you want them soft and moist in order to use them as wraps

Raw power balls – banana, date, almond

An awesome pre or post workout snack. As always, various substitutions are possible with the ingredients. For example, you could use hazelnuts instead of almonds, currants instead of dates, and obviously cocoa powder is fine, rather than cacao.

This recipe makes approximately 16 balls.

Ingredients:

  • 2 bananas (medium size)
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup dates
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder
  • 1 ½ cups desiccated coconut

Instructions:

  1. Place almonds, bananas, dates, balsamic, cacao powder in a food processor and blend until it becomes a relatively smooth paste
  2. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and keep adding the dessicated coconut until the consistency becomes firm enough to shape into balls. This usually requires between 1 – 1½ cups, but sometimes a bit more
  3. Shape the mixture into balls and roll in a bit more desiccated coconut
  4. Place in the fridge to chill and firm up before eating (ideally 2-3 hrs)
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 Raw power balls - banana, date, almond
An awesome pre or post workout snack. As always, various substitutions are possible with the ingredients. For example you could use hazelnuts instead of almonds, currants instead of dates, and obviously cocoa powder is fine, rather than cacao.
Prep Time 15 mins
Servings
balls
Ingredients
Prep Time 15 mins
Servings
balls
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Place almonds, bananas, dates, balsamic, cacao powder in a food processor and blend until it becomes a relatively smooth paste
  2. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and keep adding the dessicated coconut until the consistency becomes firm enough to shape into balls. This usually requires between 1 - 1½ cups, but sometimes a bit more
  3. Shape the mixture into balls and roll in a bit more desiccated coconut
  4. Place in the fridge to chill and firm up before eating (ideally 2-3 hrs)

Energy bar – oats, nuts, chia, fruit

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve tried making a variety of energy bars and find this combination to be one of the best; tasty, moist, healthy and doesn’t fall apart in your rucksack. The honey, nut butter and oats are the mainstay, but the almonds, cranberries, pumpkin and sunflower seeds could easily be substituted for other types of nuts, dried fruit and seeds. The dates are useful to help to bind the ingredients together. The chia seeds provide the omega-3 and protein, and the cacao nibs provide a chocolate flavour, as does the dark chocolate drizzle!

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter/ any nut butter
  • 60g dates (soaked overnight)
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • I handful almonds or other nuts
  • 1 handful cacao nibs
  • I handful cranberries
  • 1 handful pumpkin seeds
  • 1 handful sunflower seeds
  • 1.5 cup oats
  • dark chocolate for drizzling

Instructions:

  1. Heat the honey and nut butter in a saucepan until melted and mix together
  2. Blend the soaked dates in a food processor, until they form a rough paste
  3. Add the other ingredients and blend until you get a coarse mixture (except dark chocolate)
  4. Add the honey/ nut butter mixture to a bowl with the blended oats/nuts/seeds/fruit and mix thoroughly
  5. Spread the mixture evenly into a shallow baking tray and place in freezer for 20mins
  6. Take out and chop into bars
  7. Drizzle with melted dark chocolate
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 Energy bar - oats, nuts, chia and fruit
Servings
Servings